


Conspiracy

by myth_taken



Series: Denial 101 [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 16:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8293139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myth_taken/pseuds/myth_taken
Summary: Fred calls Angel to work out some crush problems she's having. Faith overhears her, and it turns out she has some crush problems of her own.





	

Fred picked up the phone, then put it down. Then she picked it up again, dialed a number, and put it down. And then she picked it up again, dialed a number, pressed talk, and hung up. And then she picked it up, dialed a number, pressed talk, and pushed the phone resolutely to her ear. She was the only one in the house; all the Potentials were gone on some mission or other, Willow and Tara were off on some sort of date-- or possibly exorcism, but it all blended together-- Andrew and Spike had been sent on yet another mission, and Dawn had begged Buffy to let her go with the Potentials. So Fred was alone, and that meant that she could finally use the phone.

There were a few rings, and then Angel picked up.

_“Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless, how may we help you?”_

He sounded bored and a little tired.

“Hi, Angel. It’s Fred. Is this a bad time?”

_“Oh, hi, Fred. No, don’t worry about it. It’s just been a hell of a week. How are things in Sunnydale?”_

“Lots of scary stuff keeps happening,” Fred answered. “But I’m having a good time learning magic, and the Potential Slayers are really cool.”

_“That’s good to hear.”_

“Any news from L. A.?”

_“Cordelia is evil.”_

“Silly Angel. That’s not news.”

She heard Angel laugh. _“She’s pregnant with some demon. Connor’s the father.”_

Fred gasped. “Oh, no!”

_“Yeah, it’s been rough. So, uh, why’d you call?”_

“Can’t I just say hi to an old friend?”

_“Come on, Fred. I know that house has got to be packed. There’s no way it’s that easy to get hold of the phone.”_

Fred twirled the phone cord around her finger. “Fine, you’re right. I’m kind of having a crisis.”

_“Nothing of the demon variety, I hope.”_

“No, no demons.” Fred paused. “Angel, I think I might like girls. Like, two girls.”

_“You’re in a house full of them. You’re bound to take a fancy to someone or another.”_

“I’m worried it’s wrong.”

_“Could be worse. You could like Spike.”_

Fred laughed. “I think Buffy’s taking care of liking Spike, actually.”

Angel sputtered on the other end. _“What?”_

“Apparently there’s drama there. I barely know Spike, though.”

_“You don’t want to. There’s a crush I regret.”_

“You had a crush on Spike?” Fred giggled.

_“It doesn’t matter. The point is, it doesn’t matter who you’re gay for, as long as it’s not Spike.”_

“I can’t be gay for Spike anyway,” Fred answered. “I’m a girl, remember?”

_“Whatever. Tell Buffy not to make that mistake.”_

“He has a soul,” Fred said. “Maybe he’s doing better.”

 _“I met that boy before he ever became a vampire,”_ Angel answered. _“Trust me; he’s not.”_

Fred giggled. “Okay.”

Suddenly, Fred heard footsteps behind her.

“Angel? I think someone’s back. I have to go.”

_“Okay, Fred. Good luck with the bisexuality.”_

“Thanks, Angel. Bye!”

_“Bye, Fred.”_

Fred hung up the phone and turned around to see Faith leaning against the counter, a huge grin on her bright red lips.

“So, you’re experimenting?”

Fred blushed. “When did you get here?”

“Soon enough to hear about your deepest fantasies,” Faith answered.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Fred said. “Please, please don’t. Not when everyone here likes me.”

“Don’t worry, Freddy. You’re not the only one hiding some homosexuality.”

“You too, huh?”

Faith nodded.

“Buffy?”

“Right again.”

“Better you than Spike,” Fred decided.

“I’ve been thinkin’ the same thing for weeks,” Faith answered. “Ever since I get back and find out B’s goin’ for the undead crowd again, I figure, hey, I can do just as well, right? I mean, at least I’ve got a pulse. And I’ve got the whole redemption thing going for me, too, except I didn’t have to lose my soul first.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely a plus.” Fred hesitated. “How come you’re still here?”

“I came back. They didn’t need me.” Faith shrugged. “I try not to be a huge burden.”

“Especially not on Buffy, right?” A sly grin appeared on Fred’s face. “You know, because of the gay love and all that?”

“Yup, because of the gay love and all that.” Faith walked around the counter and started rummaging in the fridge. “You know, Fred, I’ll make you a deal.” She found a jug of milk and immediately turned to look for glasses. “I’ll help you figure out if Willow and Tara’d be up for a three-way type thing, and you help me figure out if I’ve got a chance in Hell with Buffy.” Turning around, Faith poured herself a glass of milk. “Deal?”

"How'd you know it was Willow and Tara?" Fred asked.

Faith shrugged. "Lucky guess. You're too old for everyone else except me and Buffy, and I'm not interested, and Buffy's currently doing the undead. Anyway, you didn't answer my question. Deal?"

Fred nodded. “Deal.”

Just then, the door banged open, and Buffy and the Potentials tramped in. Fred looked at Faith and wiggled her eyebrows, then ran to the kitchen doorway.

“Hi, y’all!” she exclaimed. “How was the Slaying?”

“Exhausting,” Vi said.

“You can say that again,” Rona sighed.

“We’ve barely even meet any real demons,” Amanda said. “And we’re still exhausted.”

“Well,” Fred said, “I get exhausted just thinking about what y’all go through.” She backed away from the doorway, letting the Potentials walk past her and sit down. Behind them all came Buffy, her body slumped and her hair a mess.

Fred sat with the Potentials, but she watched out of the corner of her eye as Faith approached Buffy. She couldn’t hear what they were saying over the racket of twenty girls all deciding they needed an immediate snack, but she could see Faith’s hesitation, the care in her eyes, the gentleness with which she ushered Buffy out of the room. Fred smiled, even as she turned to talk to the rest of the Potentials.

Later, sitting on the floor with the others before bed, she asked a couple of the Potentials what they thought of Buffy and Faith.

“They’re all right,” Amanda said. “I mean, Buffy’s a bit too strict, and Faith’s kind of all over the place, but they’re decent.”

Kennedy shrugged. “Buffy has to be strict. We’ve all got to be ready for a fight, and soon. Someone has to keep us in line.”

“You’re just glad because they put you in charge so much,” Amanda said.

“I was here first,” Kennedy said. “And I’m one of the oldest. It only makes sense.”

“If you say so,” Amanda said.

Kennedy leaned in. “But the real money is in that Willow chick. Seriously, haven’t you noticed how hot she is?”

Amanda recoiled. “I’m not gay or anything.”

Fred gave a sheepish shrug. “I might be,” she said. “Just a little bit.”

“Hey, there you go!” Colleen exclaimed. “Baby gay, right here.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m also older than all of you,” Fred answered. “I’m not really a baby anything anymore.”

“Whatever.” Kennedy shrugged. “You admit Willow’s hot. _And_ gay.”

“Too bad she’s got that Tara,” Colleen said. “Then maybe we’d have a chance.”

Kennedy and Amanda immediately glared at her.

“Tara’s really cool,” Fred said. “She’s showed me lots of magical stuff, and she helps Willow a lot.”

Colleen shrugged. “Just saying. Tara’s not as hot.”

“She’s hot in a different way,” Fred mused. “Like, Willow’s a big galaxy full of stars and colors and patterns, but Tara’s just one star that shines bright in the sky and lets you know that everything’s going to be all right.”

“Sounds like someone has a crush,” Kennedy nudged.

Fred blushed. “Maybe a little one.”

Just then, Faith dropped down beside her. “Oh, are you talking about Fred’s brand new homoerotic fantasies? Because I think it’s more than a little, my friend.”

“Shut up,” Fred exclaimed, pushing Faith. “Anyway, it’s not homoerotic, and we all know your fantasies are no better than mine.”

“Hey, I’m not the one sleeping in the same room as my multiple crushes, but whatever.”

“Yours is straight,” Fred answered.

Kennedy leaned forward. “Hang on. Is this gossip? I can’t miss this.”

“I can,” Amanda said, and she got up and joined a few others in teaching Chao-Ahn some English. Colleen had already slunk away, so it was just Fred, Faith, and Kennedy.

“Faith likes Buffy,” Fred said.

“Hey! I didn’t say you could share my secrets,” Faith protested.

“You were about to share mine,” Fred countered.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Kennedy pointed out. “Isn’t this technically both?”

“Well, I was about to share it, anyway.” Faith shrugged. “What can I say? Girl’s cute.”

“And you’ve got that connection, you know, being the chosen ones and all,” Fred mused. “It really makes a lot of sense.”

“Okay, but Buffy? Little miss heterosexuality?” Kennedy raised an eyebrow. “Not likely. What about Spike?”

“I like to think she’s repressed,” Faith said. “Anyway, after all those bad boys, she oughta want to try out a bad girl for a change.”

“If I can turn out to be bisexual, anything could happen,” Fred said. “Pretty much anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> the biggest problem with this au is that i don't want to shove kennedy aside... i like kennedy... she's just not quite right for willow... so anyway she's going to be friends with fred and faith now. obviously i'm going to write another one where they actually work out the crush stuff. i just couldn't figure out how to continue this one. also this au is also one in which they actually bother to teach chao-ahn english because if i'm fixing things, i better fix it all.


End file.
